1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a finishing apparatus for a slide fastener which continuously manufactures the slide fastener from a long slide fastener chain, and particularly to a finishing apparatus for a slide fastener which can accurately pass a variety of sliders therethrough with a single apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Usually, a slide fastener transfers a continuous slide fastener chain along a transfer path and cuts the fastener chain into a slide fastener unit on the way, and then inserts a slider through the fastener chain, and furthermore, attaches a stopper and sequentially finishes the slide fastener, and discharges the slide fastener thus finished to the outside of the transfer path. For example, according to Japanese Utility Model Publication JP-UM-B-45-12162, a previous finished slide fastener is pulled out forward by means of a second gripper, and at almost the same time, a next fastener chain is cut to have a unit length of the slide fastener and the tip space portions of left and right fastener tapes are held by a pair of left and right first grippers. Then, the fastener chain is opened like a Y shape while advancing the left and right first grippers and moving them in a separating direction, and the slider is inserted and a stopper is attached to the tip side portion of a fastener element train. At this time, a succeeding fastener chain is advanced following the next slide fastener finished completely. By the same operating procedure, the slide fastener is sequentially finished.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication JP-B-1-28565 has disclosed a finishing apparatus for a slide fastener in which two sliders having the same structure are attached in opposite directions to each other. First and second slider holders are provided in the transfer path for a continuous slide fastener chain and, for example, the slide fastener chain having a tip held by left and right grippers is transferred along the transfer path and the left and right grippers are moved in a transversely outward direction orthogonally to the transfer path, and the slide fastener chain is transversely opened like a Y shape, and at the same time, a first slider is inserted from a shoulder and the left and right grippers are caused to approach left and right inner parts orthogonally to the transfer path, and a second slider is inserted from a rear part while left and right stringers are closed like an inverted Y shape, and a stopper is then attached.
JP-UM-B-45-12162 and JP-B-1-28565, which are mentioned above, are known as related art.
A variety of slide fasteners are used depending on a combination of the width and length of a fastener chain, a material to be used in a fastener tape or a stopper, the structure and size of a slider including a handle, the direction of the slider to be attached to the fastener chain or the patterns or colors of components. For this reason, finishing apparatuses for a slide fastener corresponding to types are indispensable.
According to JP-UM-B-45-12162, for example, all combined operations in the advance direction of the fastener chains of left and right grippers and an orthogonal direction to the advance direction are carried out by a bending guide groove. In JP-B-1-28565, moreover, the operations of the same grippers depend on a cylinder. In general, the operations of the grippers are often carried out by using a cam. In the case in which the guide groove or the cam is used for a mechanism for controlling the operations of the left and right grippers as described above, the control of the kinetic loci of the grippers is uniformly determined by the guide grooves formed therein or the cams provided therein. Even if the direction of the insertion of the fastener chain into the slider is changed, consequently, a countermeasure cannot be taken instantly.
There are specifically two directions in which the fastener chain is inserted through the slider. In one of the directions, the fastener chain is divided into left and right fastener stringers to be opened like a Y shape, and a pair of fastener stringers are inserted from the shoulder of the slider and the elements of the fastener stringers are pulled out of the rear part of the slider in an engagement state. In this case, the left and right grippers are set in a separation state before they are inserted in the slider, and are moved with the insertion in an approach direction.
In the second direction of the insertion of the slider, the fastener chain having a pair of fastener stringers engaged is inserted from the rear part of the slider, and the fastener chain is divided into the fastener stringers to be pulled out of the shoulder of the slider. In this case, the left and right grippers are set in an approach state before they are inserted in the slider, and are moved with the insertion in a separating direction.
As described above, the two inserting ways have the kinetic loci of the left and right grippers which are different from each other. In the case in which the kinetic loci of the left and right grippers are uniform, therefore, control can correspond to only one of the inserting ways. Moreover, it is impossible to smoothly guide and insert the fastener chain into various sliders having different structures and sizes by using a finishing apparatus of the same type.
The slider guides the engaging and separating actions of the fastener element by a coupling column for coupling upper and lower blade plates and a flange protruded from at least one of the upper and lower blade plates, and the left and right grippers are moved over such a kinetic locus as to insert the fastener chain without causing the fastener element to collide with the coupling column and the flange.
If the structure and size of the slider is varied, the sizes and shapes of the coupling column and the flange, and furthermore, their positional relationship are varied. Even if the kinetic loci of the left and right grippers are to be uniformly controlled, therefore, the fastener element is forcibly inserted into the slider while colliding with the coupling column and the flange so that the fastener chain might be damaged.
For example, in the case in which the kinetic loci of the left and right grippers are to be controlled by employing a cylinder, moreover, a position can be roughly controlled for an accurate kinetic locus and precision in positioning is low. The left and right grippers hold the fastener tape in the fastener chain. Since the fastener tape is flexible, it expands and contracts by a tension applied thereto so that an error is apt to be made between a theoretical position and an actual position in the insertion. The rough control of the position in the kinetic loci of the left and right grippers causes the fastener element to be unreliably guided into the slider together with deformation caused by the expansion and contraction of the tape and the insertion into the slider cannot be smoothly carried out.
The control for the operation of the gripper in the finishing apparatus for a slide fastener is varied depending on the type of the fastener chain and the structure and size of the slider. If it is impossible to carry out the control of the position of the gripper with high precision corresponding to an error made by the kinetic loci depending on various sliders and the expansion and contraction of the fastener tape, the slider cannot be accurately inserted through the fastener chain. As a result, conventionally, a special device has been prepared for each type of the fastener chains and the sliders or a considerable reconstruction has been required every time their types are changed.